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Loss of a Companion
updated: May 29, 2012, 8:51 PM
By Dan Seibert
UPDATE: First, let me thank everyone for the kind comments. I have avoided answering the phone because I get choked
up. But I'm very thankful for so many who know what it's like.
About ten minutes ago I was standing in the driveway with Bob, hoping to get a better photo of the skunks from a few
nights ago. This is the honest truth, I had my back to the garage doors, thinking the skunks were nesting to my left.
When I suddenly felt a tickle on my bare feet. I looked down and momma, plus her kits were gathered at my feet,
nibbling on my toes!!! I swear on Buddy, this just happened. Just for a few seconds and then they were off, at which
point I took the second photo. Life is good. . .
Original story
About 16 years ago I got a small kitten from some friends and I named him Bob.
A month later my roomate got another kitten and she named him Buddy. Since that
day Bob and Buddy have been my companions, more so Buddy since he likes to stay
inside. And sleep with this feet in the air. Go figure. I could have called
Buddy "Shadow," since he was always nearby. Either on his chair, the couch or
wrapped around the scratching post.
As I moved from place to place the boys went with me and adapted to the new
surrounds. The last place I moved to was next to a busy street so I confined
Buddy to the house and patio. Bob can not be confined. He would perform Death
by a Thousand Cuts on me if I didn't let him out.
I don't know if it was Buddy being confined, his diet, or genetic disposition,
but when he was 8 he developed diabetes. In the first year the vet bills were
more than I could afford so I asked my vet, Christine from the Cat & Bird Clinic
if I could provide gardening services in a trade. She was for it and since then
it has been wonderful for Buddy and Bob.
Since then I have given Buddy insulin shots twice a day, every day. I have a
friend with a dog in the same circumstance and I'm so grateful to Christine to
allow me the trade. My friend with the dog told me stories about not having
enough money for new syringes so she would use them more than once. I told her
she sounded like a junkie. A dog junkie.
Things came to a scary conjuncture this weekend. On Sunday Buddy went into
convulsions which I thought were a diabetic seizure. About the same time my
friend emailed me saying, her dog had died and do I want her unused syringes? I
said no, since Buddy was not looking good. Buddy was in and out of it until
Sunday night. (I know some people, including those at CARE hospital would say
why didn't take him in right away?) Because he has always pulled out of these
in the past.
However, he didn't recover. First thing Monday morning I took him to the CARE
Hospital here in SB. The nurses and Dr. were like something out of the show
E.R. They did all sorts of things to revive Buddy even though I knew he was no
longer Buddy. Some time later the Dr., Mary Ellen told me Buddy was not in a
diabetic coma. Rather it was something else that they could not identify. I
declined any further actions.
So now it's just me and Bob, for the first time in 16 years.
I have posted hundreds of photos here on Edhat. Here are some of Buddy, with a
few including Bob. Buddy will be missed. The last photo was last Thursday
after I gave them fresh picked catnip.
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